River remodel is full steam ahead

This week we're seeing more progress at the river house. Our contractor has been busy removing the dated tile countertops and backsplash so we can replace it with solid surface slabs of stone that have some beautiful movement in them. I love the stone backsplashes in my current house instead of the usual tile because it's such a clean look. I find it amazing that the Lord created such gorgeous natural artwork hidden below the earth's surface for us to find. With building and remodels going great guns around here, we were lucky to be shopping for stone the day after a new shipment was fresh off the boat and put into stock.

I've been busy ordering things we need for the ongoing updates. Early next week I'm expecting ceiling fans, cabinet pulls, a new bathroom light fixture and sconces for the fireplace's rock wall. 

The painters continue to move from room-to-room, cutting in corners with paintbrushes and then rolling the walls with the first coat. You can see in our two-toned landing wall below that it's painfully obvious where the bookshelves were sitting before we relocated them to the rec room. The painters will be doing a second coat before moving on to paint the kitchen cabinets, as well as a secondary bathroom, in a soft shade of white named alabaster. It's amazing how much brighter and open the rooms feel just by lightening up the wall color.

We have a cactus garden that you have to pass on the way to the steps leading down to the river. I saw some cement turtles in a store last month that I thought would be a fun addition to that area, so I circled back and bought five of them. Today I snagged four more to round out my turtle herd!

With the younger daughter home from finishing up her junior year - cheers to another straight A semester - we've been snooping through our local big box stores for inexpensive bedding, plus towels and bath mats. The last big thing I'm waiting to be delivered is the new table I ordered. I've loved my extra long dining table I bought at Restoration Hardware almost five years ago, so I splurged on this lovely acorn brown 6' wide pedestal table made from reclaimed wood for the river house.

I enjoy the scenic drive out to the river house, which is good since I'm up there at least three days per week to oversee things. Take supplies that have been delivered. Check on the groundskeeper-handyman that's still living there until early June when his daughter finishes the school year. One of my favorite sights besides all of the pretty river crossings is a field with some longhorns. It's not uncommon to see folks pulled over to snap pics, and so I joined them one day. I don't think it can get any more Texas than that.